🔗 Share this article

This audacious escape of Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado involved a long, frightening and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night, as detailed by the US veteran who claims to have commanded the operation.

A Perilous Nocturnal Voyage

Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the operation in a recent media appearance. “It was dangerous. It was scary,” said Stern, an ex-special forces operative, describing dark and choppy conditions that simultaneously offered ideal concealment for the escape.

“The ocean was perfect for our purposes, but not water you'd choose to sail on ... the higher the waves, the more difficult radar detection becomes,” Stern said.

He described rendezvousing with Machado offshore after she departed from Venezuela, where she had been in hiding for over a year due to fear of persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Step-by-Step Extraction

She boarded his boat for a half-day trip to an secret location to catch a plane, in a mission orchestrated just days before. “This was in the middle of the night – minimal moonlight, a little bit of cloud cover, very hard to see, boats have no lights. Everyone was quite damp. My team and I were soaked to the gills. She was also chilled and wet. She had a very arduous journey,” Stern added.

Regarding her state, he said, She was elated. She was very excited. She was exhausted,” and noted about twenty-four people were directly involved within his organization.

Confirmation and Disguise

A representative for Machado confirmed that Stern’s company was behind the extraction, which commenced earlier in the week. This report comes after earlier stories that Machado wore a wig and a disguise to leave her safe house in a suburb of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

Stern did not divulge specifics about the land operation, citing his company’s future work in the country.

Funding and US Role

He stated publicly the mission was financed by “a few generous donors” – with no US government figures involved. “The US government did not contribute a single penny, at least not that I know of,” Stern said.

He said, however, that his group did coordinate informally with the US military regarding positioning and plans, largely to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

Next Steps and Admiration

The opposition leader stated she had American backing to leave Venezuela. She has announced plans to return home, though it is not clear the method or timing.

Stern said his group would play no part in a return mission, as it worked only on extracting individuals from countries, not bringing them back. “She must decide that for herself. Personally, I advise against returning. But she wants to. She is a genuine inspiration,” he concluded.